Draft-gear for railroad-cars.



D. U. MCCORMICK. DRAFT G EAR FOR RAILR'OAD GARS. APPucAnoN msu Aman. ma.

UNITED srATFs PATENT oFFIcF.

DANIEL U. MCCORMICK, OF FORT SVMITH,VARKANSAS.

DRAFT-GEAR Foa RAILROAD-cans.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application :filed April 30, 1918. Serial No. 231,784.

To all whom t may concern:V l

Be it known that I, DANIEL U. MCCOR- uioK, of Fort Smith, in the county of Sebastian and State of Arkansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in vDraft Gears for Railroad- Cars, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to draft gear for railroad cars, and more particularly to what is known as friction draft gear adapted to Y, be connected between the draw bar and the car frame for absorbing and dissipating the shocks and jolts incident to the transmission of the draft and butling stresses from the coupler to the car.

Many forms of draft gears of the friction 'type have heretofore been designed for this l and be comparatively inexpensive. Another `object is to dispense with theuse of draft sills, which are usually attached to the bottom of the car sills, by providing a casting formed withA friction wedges and having upwardly land rearwardly extending side plates, or flanges, adapted to be bolted to the center sills of the car frame.

These and otherobjects will more fully appear from the following detailed descrip- 1 y tion 0f a preferred form of the construction,

- and the features of novelty will be set forth in the claims. Y y l In the accompanying drawing: Figure l is a verticallongitudinal section of one `forni of draft gear embodying my improvement;

Fig. 2, a view, partly in'horizontal section and partly in plan; Fig.`3, a transverse section, taken on the line w, a?, of Fig. 1;, and F ig. 4, adetail view upon a larger'scale, showing the links for coupling the-yoke members to the draw bar.

According to the construction exemplified, the draw bar, 5, is slidably mounted in the usual support, 6, at the end of the car. A stationary friction member, having an inclined face, is rigidly attached to the car frame, this being preferably a casting, 7 bolted to the car sills, and formed with wedges, 8 and 8, located below and between the center sills, and facing in opposite directions, in line with the draw bar.

For cooperating with the inclined surface or surfaces of the stationary ,friction member or wedges, I provide one or more movable friction members, having corresponding inclined faces, said member or members being connected to move positively with the draw bar, in its longitudinal movements, and also 'adapted to have a vlimited transverse movement as the inclined friction faces slide upon one another. A spring device is employed for forcing the inclined friction faces into engagement witheach other. As

shown, two such movable friction members Y or blocks, 9a and l0, are provided, these being formed integral with the respective yoke members, 9 and l0, which are pivotally connected, at their outer ends, to the draw bar. The upper movable block, 9a, is provided with oppositely inclined friction faces, engaging the upper faces of the stationary wedges, 8 and 8a, and the lower block, 10a, has corresponding faces, engaging the lower inclined faces of said wedges.

As a spring device for forcing the frictional parts together, and opposing the transverse or spreading action of the'wedge blocks, when sliding up the inclined faces of the wedges in either direction, I provide the pairs of draft springs, 11, preferably arranged vertically, `and located between the spring pocket section, l0", formed upon the' lower side of the yoke member, l0, and the corresponding follower, 12, which is supported by the U bolt,L 13, passing over the upper yoke member, 9, and down through thefollower, 12, and Vhaving the adjustable nuts, 14.

For connecting the outer ends of the yoke members to the draw bar, they are preferf ably provided with pockets, fitting over the shouldered tail section, 5a, of the draw bar, and are pivotally connected thereto, by means of the links, l5, at either side o f the draw bar, and the pins or rivets, 16 and '17.

When either draft or bufling stresses are applied to the draw bar, the longitudinal movement is positively transmitted through the yokes to the friction blocks, 92L and 10a,

which slide upon the inclined faces of either Patented Nov.5, 1918.

absorbed and dissipated in transmitting the stresses to the car frame.

Another feature of my improvement comprises the casting, 7, provided with the npwardly and rearwardly extending side plates or flanges, 7, and the horizontal flanges, 7b, adapted to be bolted to the sides and bottom of the two adjoining center sills of the car. The casting may also extend over the body bolster, 18, and be formed with a cap section, 1S), lit-ting over the top of said bolster and having an opening Q0, registering with. a corresponding opening through the body bolster' for the king bolt. This con'iprises a strong and reliable connection from the draft gear to the car body, and dispenses with the necessity of using draft sills attached to the bottom of the center sills of the car. it also forms a serviceable connection with the body bolster, and does not tend to tilt or deflect the bolster from its correct position upon the car body.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

l. in a draft gear for railroad cars, the combination of a draw bar; a pair of yoke members connected to move longitudinally with the draw bar, friction blocks carried by the yoke members and each having an inclined friction face; a friction member rigidly attached to the car between said yoke members, and having a pair of oppositely disposed inclined friction faces engaging those of the friction blocks, said friction blocks being` also adapted to have limited transverse movements in opposite directions; and a spring device acting to force said friction members together.

In a draft gear for railroad ears, the combination of a. draw bar; a pair of yoke members connected to move longitudinally with the draw bar, friction blocks carried by the yoke members and each having a pair of oppositely inclined friction faces; a pair of stationary wedges between said yokemenibers, facing in opposite directions and engaging the faces of said friction blocks; and a. transverse spring for forcing said friction blocks against the inclined faces of said wedges.

3. ln a draft gear for railroad cars, the combination of a draw bar; a friction ineinber, pivotally connected to, and movable lon- Copies of this patent may be obtained for gitndinally with, the draw bar and having an inclined friction face; a stationary member having a corresponding inclined friction face engaging therewith; and a spring for forcing said friction faces together.

4. In a draft gear, the combination of a draw bar; a pair of yoke members pivotally connected to the draw bar and having inclined friction faces; a stationary wedge en gaging therewith; and a spring for forcing the friction faces of said yoke members against the opposite faces of the wedge.

in a draft gear, the combination of a draw bar; a pair of yoke members pivotally connected atmthe top and bottom of the draw bar and having inclined friction faces; a stationary horizontal wedge located between the friction faces of said yoke members; a 'il-shaped bolt carried by the upper yoke member; a follower at the lower end of said bolt; and a spring between said follower and the lower yoke member.

G. in a draft gear, the combination of a draw bar having a shouldered tail section; a pair of yoke members fitted over said tail section; and a pair of links pivotally connected to the ends of the yoke members.

7. in a draft gear, the combination of a draw bar; yoke members connected thereto and having inclined friction faces; fixed fric tion members engaging said friction faces and located in line with the draw bar, below the car sills; and a casting formed integral with said fixed members, and having vertical side plates extending upwardly and horizontal flanges for attachment to the car sills.

F5. ln a draft gear, the combination of a draw bar; yoke members connected thereto and having inclined friction faces; fixed wedges engaging said friction faces and located in line with the draw bar and the body bolster of the car, below the car sills; a casting formed integral with the wedges and having vertical side plates extending npwardly and rearwardly overl the top of the body bolster; and. a cap plate joining the two side plates and fitted over the top of the body bolster.

DixNIEL U. MoCORMICK.

ViTitnesses J. D. MORGAN, l?. W7. JoiiNs'roNE.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

